Assembled slowly and selectively in his cellar, David Ford’s debut solo release is a dark and sombre album. Having spent time in the major label world without ever cracking it in Easyworld, I Sincerely Apologise For All the Trouble I’ve Caused is likely to earn him far greater recognition.

It begins darkly, and stays that way throughout. “I Don’t Care What You Call Me” is an excellent track, and as it progresses it opens up, with Ford singing out clearly and loudly. It’s an impressive number, as is the single “State of the Union”, a politically-inflected slice through a thousand tiny cuts.

The centrepiece of I Sincerely Apologise For All the Trouble I’ve Caused is undoubtedly “Cheer Up (You Miserable Fuck)”. Partly tongue-in-cheek, it reeks of Morrissey – many of the titles on the album are reminiscent of the Smiths. Like Morrissey, there’s a dark humour to much of his material, save for the excellent pop of “Katie”, a likely single thanks to its naggingly pop chorus.

David Ford isn’t revolutionising the wheel on I Sincerely Apologise For All the Trouble I’ve Caused, but what he is doing is showcasing himself as an artist of substance over style. Now that he’s signed up once more, he won’t have the luxury of doing everything his own way in his own time, so the follow-up release could be completely different again.